Whooping cough crisis unnecessary

Viewpoint

Page 6

The whooping cough epidemic in Hobbema and outlying Indian communities in north and central Alberta highlights a very serious problem in Native communities throughout Canada.

That problem is whether the health care system is adequately serving the needs of native people, particularly on Indian reserves.

Hobbema residents have found out firsthand how inadequate that health care system is.

It's become quite apparent that even with modern health care facilities in place, many Indian families did not understand the dangers of not immunizing their children or themselves for whooping cough.

At the moment, it is very possible that people, particularly children, could die from the epidemic on the reserve which has reached a critical situation.

In the year 1990, that kind of epidemic just shouldn't happen. The same kind of health care standards that are available to the majority of Albertans should be found in Native communities.

But this, obviously, is not the case.

For Hobbema, the message to immunize against whooping cough came too late.

The blame does not lie with health care officials who are doing their best to alleviate the crisis, but with the delivery of the system.

A recent Statistics Canada report indicated that the death rate among Canada's Indian population is three times the national average for Indian people under the age of 35.

Part of the reason for that is health care in Indian communities is poor. On a much more frequent basis than the general population, Indians will seek treatment for more frequently reported diseases as tuberculosis, respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, diabetes and the list goes on. Whooping cough can be added to that list.

The Alberta Indian Health Care Commission stated recently that Indians are living in an environment akin to 'Third World' conditions.

Alberta's Indian chiefs want the federal government to address this long-standing issue of the quality health care on reserves since that is a federal responsibility.

Alberta Indian leaders have complained long and hard that more funds are needed to deliver an acceptable standard of health care to Indian communities.

An answer to that complaint is long overdue.

If anything has convinced government it's time to seriously look at health care on Indian reserves, the whooping cough crisis in Hobbema should.

It should never have happened.

Hopefully, no lives will be lost as a result.